January Term Traveling Seminars

January Term (J-Term) refers to winter break and is typically the first 2-3 weeks of January. Visit several different cities or countries in one trip!

January Term can be treated as a stand-alone winter break program, or it can be combined with any ASA Spring semester program, your semester start date permitting.

Students will travel in a small group (maximum 30 students per trip), along with the professor who is teaching your course. All January Term seminars include 3 academic credits (1 course).

2025 Destinations

Click on a trip to learn more:

• DIPLOMACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, MOROCCO, SPAIN

• EUROPE AND THE ISLAMIC WORLD: FRANCE, SPAIN, MOROCCO

• GREAT CITIES: FRANCE, ITALY, NETHERLANDS, CZECH REPUBLIC

• MEDITERRANEAN BASIN: GREECE & ITALY

• THEATRE ALIVE - STUDIES IN THEATRE, DRAMA, AND PERFORMANCE: UNITED KINGDOM

• WINE, GASTRONOMY, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN: FRANCE, SPAIN, ITALY

JANUARY TERM I 2025: DIPLOMACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

SPAIN, FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, MOROCCO

An exciting academic and cultural experience in Spain, France, The Netherlands, and Morocco. Diplomacy is about balancing multiple, sometimes competing priorities. How can the US promote human rights in North Africa while also fighting terrorism? This study tour surveys how US diplomats balance multiple goals and foreign policy challenges while working with partners from other governments, international organizations, and civil society in Europe and North Africa. This study tour will introduce students to the tools the U.S. uses to address these challenges, from public diplomacy to military partnerships.

Students will take the same interdisciplinary class and may earn 3 credits for one of the following courses of their choosing.

For description of courses and syllabi - CLICK HERE

• International Relations 355: Diplomacy & Human Rights in the Mediterranean

• Political Science 355: Diplomacy & Human Rights in the Mediterranean

2025 Itinerary - Cities visited are Madrid, Paris, The Hague, Tangier, Rabat, and Casablanca.

JANUARY TERM II 2025: EUROPE AND THE ISLAMIC WORLD

FRANCE, MOROCCO, SPAIN

An exciting academic and cultural experience in France, Morocco, and Spain. Students participate in a series of briefings from leading academic, literary and political personalities and experts on the European relationship with the Islamic world. Students will attend daily lectures and meetings with distinguished scholars, as well as local guides and experts in the fields of politics, art history, history and culture. Special emphasis will be placed on the importance of immigration to Europe and its current sociocultural implications on the region.

Students will take the same interdisciplinary class and may earn 3 credits for one of the following courses of their choosing.

For description of courses and syllabi - CLICK HERE

• Art History 395: Classical Islam and the European Renaissance

• Cross Cultural Studies 395: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World

• French 395: Cultural History of France and the Islamic World

• History 395: Cultural History of Europe and the Islamic World

• Political Science 395: European Politics and the Islamic World

• Religious Studies 395: Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World

• Spanish 395: Cultural History of Spain and the Islamic World

2025 Itinerary - Cities visited are Paris, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Seville, Granada, and Madrid.

JANUARY TERM III 2025: GREAT CITIES

FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, CZECH REPUBLIC, ITALY

An exciting academic and cultural experience in France, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Italy that will explore major cities across Europe using literature and the arts as a guide to understanding the rise and establishment of the urban setting. Through readings and media studies, students examine the artistic process from inspiration to creation. Site visits and guided tours allow students to experience the historical, geographical, and demographical foundations that inform the fictional representations of European cities and their impact on perceptions of those cities today. Students have the opportunity to learn from and exchange their observations with experts as well as distinguished on-site scholars and local guides, in order to frame their own perception of the cities and their representation through the arts.

Students will take the same interdisciplinary class and may earn 3 credits for one of the following courses of their choosing.

For description of courses and syllabi - CLICK HERE

• Anthropology 301: The Artist and the City

• Communications 375: The European City in the Visual Arts

• European Studies 303: Europe and the Urban Space

• Geography 201: Europe and its Cities

• Literature 375: The European City in Literature

2025 Itinerary - Cities visited are Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, and Rome.

JANUARY TERM IV 2025: MEDITERRANEAN BASIN

GREECE & ITALY

An exciting academic and cultural experience in Greece and Italy that promotes visual literacy in the history of art and archaeology, as well as the examination of philosophical literature of the Mediterranean Basin from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. This program will cultivate strong research and critical thinking skills and develop students’ abilities to synthesize cultural, historical, political and social information as it relates to the visual arts. The experiential learning component consists of a series of site visits made by academic experts, in addition to local guides and faculty in the fields of history, art history and archaeology.

Students will take the same interdisciplinary class and may earn 3 credits for one of the following courses of their choosing.

For description of courses and syllabi - CLICK HERE

• Archaeology 385: Greek and Roman Archaeology

• Art History 385: Ancient and Medieval Classical Art and Architecture

• Cross Cultural Studies 385: Cultural Identities in Mediterranean Europe

• History 385: Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean Cultural History

• Religious Studies 385: From Polytheism to Monotheism: the Early Christian Period in France, Italy, and Greece

2024 Itinerary - Cities visited are Athens, Crete, Salerno, Rome, and Florence.

JANUARY TERM V 2025: THEATRE ALIVE - STUDIES IN THEATRE, DRAMA, AND PERFORMANCE

UNITED KINGDOM

This traveling semester course examples the complex relationship between London (a major urban center) and the art, industry, and practice of performance and drama. Additionally, this course focuses on class and gender, and the ways in which theatre engages with an represents these systems. London is a diverse and histories city, which makes it a brilliant site for this course. Not only will you be reading plays, you will also be using field work (museums and galleries, backstage tours, live performance, historic sites) to add relevance and cultural context to your in-class discussion about theatre. Developing an understanding of the way theatre, ballet, and visual art provide narratives and events that support the status quo or actively questions, disrupts, or overturns the narratives of dominance is central to an understanding of the cultural necessity for the free voice of arts to a society our culture.

Students will take the same interdisciplinary class and may earn 3 credits for one of the following courses of their choosing.

For description of courses and syllabi - CLICK HERE

• Theatre 385: Studies in Theatre, Drama, & Performance

• Literature 385: Studies in Theatre, Drama, & Performance

2025 Itinerary - Cities visited are London, Oxford, and Bath.

JANUARY TERM VI 2025: WINE, GASTRONOMY, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

FRANCE, SPAIN, ITALY

This traveling seminar examines the individuality and expression of the Mediterranean region’s rich culinary heritage through studies and visits in France, Spain, and Italy. Students will learn to appreciate how these products are produced, understand how it impacts the environment, and will begin to recognize how our consumption choices may be a potential solution or hazard to the global environmental crisis. Students will have the opportunity to taste French and Spanish wines and to speak directly with winemakers and master chefs. Students will visit various cultural sites in France and Spain, as well as attend special lectures on wine making and food pairing by experts, master chefs and sommeliers.

Students will take the same interdisciplinary class and may earn 3 credits for one of the following courses of their choosing.

For description of courses and syllabi - CLICK HERE

• Business 306: The Global Wine Industry

• Environmental Studies 375: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin

• Geography 303: Regional Wine Trade and Economics

• Geography 375: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin

• Hospitality Management 317: Wine and Food Pairing

• International Relations 375: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin

• Marketing 312: Wine Marketing and Analysis

• Marketing 303: Regional Wine Trade and Economics

• Wine Studies 303: Regional Wine Trade and Economics

• Wine Studies 306: The Global Wine Industry

• Wine Studies 312: Wine Marketing and Analysis

• Wine Studies 317: Wine and Food Pairing

2025 Itinerary - Cities visited are Aix-en-Provence, Florence, and Barcelona.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

You may apply for January Term 2025 at any time, as we are on rolling admissions. Each trip is capped at 30 students, so we recommend securing your space early. Some trips fill up before the application deadline. Non-refundable $1,500 Down Payment required. 

NOTE: Itineraries are subject to change. Students should consult with an ASA representative before booking flights or finalizing travel plans.

• Requirements
  • Minimum GPA 2.50 (Students with a GPA between 2.20 and 2.49 will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students with a GPA of 2.19 or lower will not be considered.)
  • Language requirement: None
  • At least 17 years of age
  • Must have graduated from high school
  • Transcript from most recent institution attended (unofficial is ok). If you have attended more than one institution, please submit a transcript from each institution.
  • ASA Application. To start a new application or continue an existing application, click here.
  • Scan of your valid passport that does not expire sooner than 6 months after the day you plan to return home from abroad. If you don’t have a valid passport, confirmation of an expedited passport application is required before you can be accepted into this program. Please submit your passport application by expedited service if you do not have a valid passport.

INCLUDED

• LODGING & PARTIAL BOARD in hotels (usually 3- or 4-star) for January Term trips. Rooms are shared with other students in your group (typically double or triple occupancy).

• MEALS: Breakfast each day and some group lunches and/or dinners are included. Other meals are the student’s responsibility.

• ENTRANCE FEES to all scheduled cultural activities and academic visits.

• INTRA-PROGRAM TRANSPORTATION to and from each city.  Round trip airfare to/from your home country and the program start and end locations is NOT included.

• TUITION for 1 class (3 semester credits)

• ACADEMIC CREDITS: Students who receive pre-approval from their home institution can transfer the credits they earn to their home institution.

• OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT: Final transcript is issued by IAU. Upon completion of the program, ASA will provide one free shipment of your final transcript to your U.S. institution.

• ON-SITE SUPPORT: Students will travel with faculty and/or staff member(s) on-site, who can assist them with any academic or cultural difficulties they may encounter.

• MEDICAL INSURANCE: Comprehensive international medical insurance is included. Click here for details on benefits and coverage.

• VISA ADVISING: Students are ultimately responsible for obtaining any visa required for their term/host country, but ASA will provide detailed, helpful information upon acceptance about how to apply for a visa, if one is required for any of the countries visited during your program itinerary.

• PRE-DEPARTURE HANDBOOK & ON-SITE ORIENTATION

• SUBSCRIPTION TO SAFETURE SAFETY-ENHANCING MOBILE APP

• SUBSCRIPTION TO MINDHAMOK: a 24-7 service designed to support your mental, physical, and social wellbeing throughout your program. You can find out more about mindhamok in our Pre-Departure Guide for All Programs

NOT INCLUDED

• Round trip airfare and travel expenses to and from the program start/end locations

• Meals, except for those included with your program fees, as described above. The number of meals included varies depending on the trip.

• Airport pick-up (Students will receive detailed instructions via email shortly before the program starts on how to get from the airport to the first group meeting point.)

• Local transportation – e.g. taxis, subway, and bus fare, etc.

• Personal expenses

• Laundry

• Textbooks and course materials.  You will receive a list of required books before departure, which can be ordered from Amazon.

• Baggage fees, if your luggage is in excess of the airline’s Baggage Allowance (This refers to intra-European travel. One airline frequently used is RyanAir; other airlines may be used as well. Prepare to pack light to avoid baggage fees!)

• Transportation back to the airport at the end of the program

• Visa, if required (If a visa is required for any of the countries visited during your program itinerary, ASA will notify you in time for you to obtain it before your trip’s start date.)

If you need a budget or Costs of Attendance for your financial aid office, or if you simply want an estimate of the not-included costs listed above.

Some course readings and videos may need to be completed prior to your trip’s departure date. Before your trip start date, you will receive emails advising on you any readings or videos you need to complete before departure.

ASA reserves the right to cancel programs due to low enrollment. Students should consult with ASA before making travel plans or purchasing airfare.